Ambling down the streets of Tokyo was a short young woman clad in a baggy red dress with black fringes. She had dark brown hair in twin braids, mysterious amber yellow eyes with oval pupils, a thin metal headband on her head, and silver cross earring hanging from her ears. Around her neck was a string necklace with a gold pendant. She also had on each of her fingers golden banded rings. She was walking with a slouch and her eyes were drooping down—she looked just like a homeless foreigner in search of charity.
Her stomach grumbled and her expression turned sour. "Ah, where can I find some good food today?" she grumbled to herself. She sighed and said, "Maybe I should give up."
She stopped and then turned to see herself reflected in a shop window. In the shop, a bunch of people were happily chatting away while enjoying lunch and cool desserts together. The woman couldn't help but salivate at the sight of delicious foods. Realizing what she was doing, the woman shook her head and turned away from the temptation. "Ah, looks like I have to see this through," she told herself. She continued on forward. "How far away was it again?" she asked herself.
After exiting the city limits, the woman found herself entering a very nice gated neighborhood. She looked around with a disinterested look on her face and entered through one of the home entrances. There was something about this house that drew her towards it. It was a combination of instinct and her desire for free food and lodging that propelled her forward. Without hesitation, she rang the doorbell.
Tatsuya woke up to a rather unobtrusive and tolerable morning. He enjoyed a very nice breakfast without much of the usual hassle and, for the first time in forever, actually felt full and ready to tackle on the day with a positive attitude. Today, right after breakfast, everyone took off to spend the day with already prepared plans. Aika and Takara had gone out to shop around town, accompanied by their respective servants. Shurai was busy with her morning anime reruns. Arashi and Mika were out having a girls day out together. And Sunaji and Kanjomizu were working on something together in the former's room.
Tatsuya decided to take the day to relax, praying that the entire day would be like this, and sat down on the couch in the living room. He was slowly entering a deep mode of calm and serenity when the sound of the doorbell rang through the house. He let out a despondent sigh and got up to go answer the door. 'Of course it would be too much to ask for that,' he thought sadly to himself, 'It was nice while it lasted.'
He opened the door and was greeted by a very strange looking short young woman with twin braids. She looked like she was about to fall over and collapse from hunger and lack of sleep. "Um…," was all Tatsuya could utter. How was he supposed to respond to something random like this?!
The woman's stomach grumbled loudly like a car engine. "Ah, excuse me, but could you spare some food?" she asked Tatsuya.
"Oh, um, er, sure!" he replied quickly, stumbling on his words.
Tatsuya took the woman to his kitchen and presented her with a plate of grilled fish, a bowl of rice, a bowl of miso soup, and a glass of orange juice—this morning's breakfast. It wasn't until the woman started to dig in that Tatsuya completely processed what was going on. 'Wait a minute, what the hell am I doing?' he asked himself, coming to his senses. It appears that he was too caught up by the randomness of the situation and had catered to this stranger's need out of impulse. "Um, excuse me, but who are you and why are you here?" he asked the stranger. The woman vacuumed everything up in one gulp and let out a very satisfied sigh. 'Whoa, that was quick!' commented Tatsuya. He had never seen anyone eat that quick before! This woman could give Shurai a run for her money!
"Ah, I'm Aitvaras! Nice to meet you!" introduced the woman nonchalantly. She then got up from her seat and walked around the kitchen with the curiosity of a cat. She opened cupboards, peeked in drawers, examined the stove and oven, and carefully inspected the refrigerator. She was just like a little kid.
"Um, why are you here?" repeated Tatsuya. The woman's constant scrambling around was starting to make him dizzy. He had to literally close his eyes and rub his head to clear away the nausea that was beginning to set in.
"Ah, I was looking for a place to rest," said the woman. She was currently digging inside the refrigerator and taking out whatever looked good and swallowing them up, cooked and raw! "Ah, it's been so long since I've entered the house of a human!" she said happily. She then sniffed the air with closed eyes as if she had just discovered a very enticing scent. The woman ran up to another cupboard and opened it. Inside, there were three bottles of unopened wine. These bottles belonged to Tatsuya's dad, who bought them for the purpose of celebrating special occasions. The woman stood on her tiptoes and were able to reach them. She took them all out of the cupboard and opened the the first bottle with ease. Without hesitation, she chugged down the first bottle in five seconds flat! Her face became red and her demeanor became more energetic and giddy. "Ah, I've never had wine this good in sooooooo long!" she declared happily.
"That was my father's!" exclaimed Tatsuya.
The woman ignored his words and began to chug down the second bottle. "Phew! Ah, now this is the stuff!" she drunkenly declared. Without warning, she threw the bottle down onto the ground, creating a loud smash that shook Tatsuya straight to the bone.
'Shit, this is bad!' exclaimed Tatsuya. 'What the hell is going on? She's like one big troublemaker! Just what have I gotten myself into?'
Suddenly, Shurai, Sunaji, and Kanjomizu entered the kitchen. "What is it with this ruckus?" asked Sunaji angrily with an annoyed expression on her face.
"Um, well, that's—," attempted Tatsuya.
"Ah, you look very cute!" said the woman with a hiccup, cutting Tatsuya off. She drunkenly approached Sunaji with an intoxicated smile and grabbed the dragon princess' breasts. "Ah, I've never seen breasts these big since Catherine the Great! Or was it Cleopatra? *hic* Ah, maybe I'm thinking of Queen Elizabeth. *hic* But if there's one thing I can remember, is that Joan of Arc was as flat as a board! Hahahahahaha!"
"J-J-Just what are you insinuating?!" screamed Sunaji with flustered cheeks.
The woman then turned her attention to Kanjomizu and did the same thing. "Ah, soft just like Empress Wu's," she commented. Her eyebrows furrowed a bit and she gave Kanjomizu a little squeeze, eliciting a small squeal from the latter. "Ah, this reminds me of the time I stayed in the Imperial palace for three days. Let me tell you, *hic* Chinese cooking back then wasn't as exotic or delicious as you would like to think. *hic* Ah, but if there's one thing I will say, Empress Wu's head chef made the best Peking Duck! Hahahahahaha!"
"Who the hell are you?!" demanded Sunaji.
"Who am I?" asked the woman. She took a moment to process those words, which only made Sunaji even more annoyed and pissed off. "I forgot *hic*," answered the woman casually. She then quickly ran out of the kitchen like an overzealous child and exited out of the house, the last wine bottle still in her hands.
Tatsuya and the others exchanged uneasy glances and quickly chased after the woman. They entered the city and looked around for any sign of her. The hustle and bustle of the city made it hard for them to track down their target, especially since it was summertime. Suddenly, the sound of voices from their right caught their ears.
"Come one, come all! Please come try our new ramen curry! We also have a new special offer! If you can finish one super large bowl of our new ramen curry in less than thirty minutes, you will receive a free meal ticket that can be used anytime!" announced a familiar voice.
Tatsuya and the girls turned around to see three very familiar faces standing outside a ramen shop, dressed in uniforms, and soliciting passersby with flyers. Upon closer inspection, Tatsuya knew exactly who they were—the Sanryu. And another observation showed him that the person they were looking was also approaching them. This was their (Tatsuya and the girls) moment to act.
"Sasasasasasa!" laughed Miryu. "What do you think of my plan, guys? Soon, we'll raise enough funds to leave this godforsaken realm and rejoin Ouroboros! This plan is ingenious, isn't it?"
"I'm getting kind of hungry," announced Kiryu, his stomach growling like a starved beast.
"Geez, what is it with you and your stomach?" admonished Miryu harshly. "Listen, the more funds we raise the faster we can buy our tickets out of here. Now, less thinking about your stomach and more moving your body to work!"
"How long do you think we'll have to do this before we can secure the necessary funds?" asked Iwaryu.
"Good question…," answered Miryu.
"Ah, excuse me, kind sirs, but how big is the super large bowl?" asked a voice from behind Miryu. The dragon turned around to see a strange looking young woman with a bottle of wine in her hand looking up at him with flustered cheeks and dazed eyes.
"Um, did you want to try it?" asked Miryu.
"Show me the way!" announced the woman. Miryu complied with her request and showed her inside.
Tatsuya and the girls had crossed over the street and made it to the shop just when their target was entering. "Excuse me, but she's with us!" Tatsuya blurted out without thinking. The anxiety that came with chasing her down and preventing her from escaping their sight had forced him to act.
Miryu turned around and was about to greet his new customers when he took one look at them and immediately recoiled in fear. "Y-Y-You!" he exclaimed, pointing a shaky finger at Tatsuya. "Please, don't kills us! We're not doing anything worth your time!" begged the dragon.
At this moment, Kiryu and Iwaryu joined their leader in pleading for their lives before the Dragonborn. "We're on the up and up now," said Kiryu.
"This is not part of some evil scheme," signed Iwaryu, though it was pretty much in vain since no one besides his friends knew what he was saying.
"We're just trying to earn money like real citizens so that we can have enough fare for the train ride back home!" explained Miryu.
To be honest, Tatsuya didn't know what the Sanryu were going on about, nor did he really care. He hadn't even thought of the possibility that they were committing heinous acts. Probably because after defeating them so long ago and seeing how Yong pretty much tamed and domesticated them a while back, Tatsuya couldn't really see them as dangerous or evil beings. The worst he thing that came to mind, really, if he were to associate them with a negative image, would be something along the lines of harmless common thugs or high school delinquents that were too easy to take down that it would be meaningless to even try.
"Sure thing," Tatsuya told them with a raised eyebrow. "Anyway, that woman over there is with us."
"Really?" asked Miryu.
The woman turned to Tatsuya and the girls with a huge smile on her face. "Ah, you guys came! Say, why don't you guys join me for lunch, eh?" asked the woman shamelessly.
"Sorry, ma'am, but we need to return back home," he told her. "I don't know why you're here in the first place, but getting drunk and then running out of the house is beyond madness! Can I ask you to return back with us so that we can understand your purpose for appearing in front of my house?"
"Eh? Already?" complained the woman with a pout. And then a very mischievous smile swept across her face. "Ah, okay then, how about a deal? If you can beat me in a little competition, I'll do as you say," offered the woman.
"Competition?" asked Tatsuya.
"Ah, beat me in this little eating competition and I'll go back with you," explained the woman.
"I'll do it," said Shurai, stepping forward with a determined look on her face.
"Shurai, are you sure?" Tatsuya asked her.
Shurai turned to him with a serious look and said, "I have to. Eating competitions are my strong suit. I cannot refuse this competition. My status as princess of the Druk tribe are on the line!" Tatsuya wasn't really really sure how that last part fit into all of this, but he nevertheless gave her the okay with a nod of his head.
Both the woman and Shurai took their respective seats at a table and faced each other. With approval from the manager, the woman was able to make some changes to the rules as befitting a true eating competition: 1) each contestant will have to finish five bowls of ramen curry; 2) there is no time limit; 3) whoever finishes their bowls first is the winner. After a fifteen minute wait, the Sanryu brought out the bowls and set down the first bowl in front of each contestant.
Miryu was chosen to act as judge and referee. He held out his hand in between them and said, "Get set…ready…GO!" He raised his hand up to signal for the contest to begin,
Both the woman and Shurai dug into their bowls like wild hyenas. Shurai slurped it all up in less than three bites like a kitchen sink drain. Her speed and efficiency at finishing her food was as amazing and superhuman as ever. However, the woman proved to be quite a worthy challenger indeed, and a difficult one too. She effortlessly chowed down on her food and sucked it all in like a vacuum cleaner on hyper-drive! The speed at which she made her food disappear was beyond superhuman and godlike!
Watching this match between Shurai and the woman reminded Tatsuya of a story his father used to tell him when he was little. If he remembered correctly, there was a Norse myth similar to this. In it, Thor, Loki, and Thor's servants had traveled to the land of the frost giants and was looking for shelter. They were allowed shelter by a king of a castle, but only if they can perform amazing feats for him and his guests. Loki was the first one to step forward and claimed that he could eat faster than anyone in the world. A competition was then held to test the god's feat, and the king called up one of his subjects to take part as the god's competitor. Loki chowed down on the food with godly speed, putting his money to where his mouth was. However, his competitor proved to be a truly worthy and difficult opponent to beat. The speed at which the competitor ate his food was even quicker than the god's! In the end, the competitor won and Loki lost. It was later revealed that the competitor was none other than the personification of wildfire, which of course burns and consumes fuel quicker than anything in the universe. That's right. The woman was the wildfire to Shurai's Loki.
One by one, each of the competitors finished their plates with ease. They were on their fifth and final plate when the woman absorbed it all into her body faster than the speed of light. Shurai was soundly defeated by the woman's ungodly appetite. Tatsuya, Kanjomizu, and Sunaji were dumbfounded by what they had witnessed and their jaws dropped to the ground in disbelief.
"W-W-What just happened?" asked Tatsuya aloud.
"Ah, looks like I won this time!" announced the woman cheerfully. "Sorry, but it looks like I won't be going back with you after all! Ah, now, time to have some more fun!" She opened the wine in her hands and took a swig of it and her face quickly became red again. "Ah, man! *hic* This is the stuff!" she drunkenly announced. The woman then exited the restaurant and moved on to her next destination, leaving Tatsuya and the others behind.
"We need to go after her," Tatsuya told them.
"Lost…I lost…I was too slow…I lost an eating competition…," muttered Shurai depressingly to herself in pure disbelief.
"She's in complete shock," commented Sunaji pityingly.
"Oh, Shurai-chan!" cried Kanjomizu, throwing herself onto the Druk princess to offer a comforting hug. "You did great!" she told her tearfully.
"Lost…lost…lost…lost…," muttered Shurai. "I am a disgrace. I should not touch food ever again for as long as I live," she added with a disturbing laugh.
"Shurai-chan!" cried Kanjomizu hysterically, shaking the Druk princess' shoulders.
Suddenly, Shurai felt a warm hand on her head and looked up to see Tatsuya smiling at her. He patted her head and said, "You did well, Shurai." His words immediately warmed her heart and broke her out of her funk. She could feel her heart beating quickly and her face became red like a cherry tomato. She swallowed a gulp and bashfully nodded her head. And then, with more confidence, she looked up at him with a warm smile and her signature thumbs up.
"Alright, let's go follow her," Tatsuya told them.
The group ran out of the restaurant and chased after the woman yet again. They searched all over and finally came upon a small public pool in another part of the city. They quickly spotted their target walking up to the entrance and going in. Tatsuya and the others quickly followed her in.
"Ah, a swim sounds nice," said the woman. She approached the counter and rented a swimsuit. After getting changed, she was about to walk to the pool when Tatsuya and the others stopped her.
"Where do you think you're going?" said Sunaji.
"Ah, it's you guys again!" said the woman cheerfully. "How about joining me for a swim?"
"We're not here to indulge in your extravagances!" snapped Sunaji sharply.
"Ah, poo-poo," whined the woman with a pout. And then another mischievous smile swept across her face. "Ah, I got an idea! Let's have a swimming race! If you can beat me, I'll go back with you all! How about it?"
"Wait a min—," attempted Tatsuya.
"I'll do it!" announced Kanjomizu. Tatsuya and the others turned their eyes to her and she shrunk back in embarrassment.
"Mizu…," said Tatsuya.
"M-My Love, I have to," she told him. "It's not just to get her to come back with us, but I'm also doing this for Shurai-chan. This will be her redemption. Please." Without further discussion, Kanjomizu rented a swimsuit too and the swimming competition for redemption began.
The group used two unused lanes for the competition. Tatsuya acted as referee this time. Both competitors took their positions at the edge of the pool. "Ready…set…GO!" announced Tatsuya. They both took off into the waters quicker than the blink of an eye.
Kanjomizu had confidence in her swimming abilities; after all, she is a water dragon. Even with her condition, swimming is a very effortless task for her. It didn't require much energy as it did focus. Instead of relying on her muscles like every other being, her affinity for water allows her to simply glide through as if she was sliding on a frictionless surface. This ability is shared between all Nagas, and it is because of this ability that Kanjomizu is able to partake in swimming without having to worry about her disease.
'I can do this,' she told herself confidently. 'I have to win this for My Love and for Shurai-chan.'
Tatsuya was beyond amazed to see just how quickly Kanjomizu was swimming. She was completely one with the water and naturally moved through it without any strain or effort at all! Her speed reminded Tatsuya of a black marlin—the fastest fish in the world. He had seen her fight and use magic before, but never had he seen her swim. To be honest, he was initially worried for her health, but upon seeing how effortlessly she was swimming and not succumbing to her condition, he's now at ease.
He glanced over at the woman and was immediately dumbfounded. The woman was moving like a supersonic comet. She cut through the waters like a refined blade and headed straight for the goal. It didn't take long before she claimed victory.
By the time Kanjomizu finished, the woman was already waiting for her with a smug smile on her face. 'How is this possible?!' exclaimed Kanjomizu in disbelief.
"Ah, I won! I won! I won!" cheered the woman with a laugh.
"What the hell just happened?" wondered Tatsuya out loud.
"This is just like the eating competition," noted Sunaji with a frown.
"Ah, that was fun!" declared the woman with a satisfied sigh. "Ah, say, why don't we have another round? Wanna do it?"
"A-Another round?" squeaked Kanjomizu.
"Yup, yup, yup!" said the woman, nodding her head quickly like an excited child.
Both Kanjomizu and the woman began a second round. Tatsuya acted as referee once again and did the countdown. Once the competition started, both competitors dived into the water quicker than a flash of lightning.
Kanjomizu swiftly and effortlessly moved through the water like she was one with the element. However, the woman shot through the lane like a beam of light. Once again, the Naga princess finished last and lost to the woman. The woman happily celebrated her victory with loud cheers. Kanjomizu could only watch with shocked eyes.
After watching the second round, Tatsuya was reminded of another part of the Norse myth. After Loki lost his competition, one of Thor's servant offered to show off his speed. The king accepted his offer and organized a race. He handpicked his champion like before, and the race between the servant and the king's champion began. Despite the servant's great speed, he lost to the king's champion rather quickly. Because the race was too quick, the competition was changed into a three round battle. The servant lost the second round and the third round too. In the end, the king won against Thor's party yet again. It was revealed that the champion was none other than the personification of thought, which of course is the quickest concept in existence. This time, this woman was thought to Kanjomizu's servant.
"One more round!" announced the woman. "Ah, this is really fun! I've never had this much fun in forever!"
Kanjomizu and the woman engaged in a third round. Just like before, the Naga princess moved effortlessly through the waters. But she still lost to the woman, who appeared to have catapulted herself through the waters like a cannonball of light. After having won the third round, the woman jumped up and down in celebration and took a swig of wine. "Ah, this feels so good! *hic* Alcohol always taste better after a victory!" reveled the woman. She then turned to Tatsuya with a drunken smile and said, "*hic* Ah, since I won, I won't be going back with you!" She walked away from them without another word and continued with her drunken adventure.
Tatsuya turned to Kanjomizu and saw that she was entering quite the depressive state. "Mizu?" he calmly called to her and cautiously reaching his hand out to her.
Suddenly, Kanjomizu bursted into an explosion of tears and hysterical cries. "My Love! I…I…I…I'm s…s…s…sorry!" she sobbed. Her genuine, yet overdramatic, pathetic display of emotion tugged at Tatsuya's heartstrings. He was about to say something to comfort her when Kanjomizu went off the deep end like always and placed her hands around her own neck in an attempt to off herself. "I don't deserve to live!" she cried. "My Love, I am sorry to have ruined your reputation like that! I am not fit to be your wife! This is the end for me!" she declared.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" shouted Tatsuya. He immediately ran up to her and grabbed her hands and pulled them away from her neck. "Are you crazy?!" he shouted with her hands still in his.
"My Love, I am nothing more than a burden on you! Death is the only way I can redeem myself for this embarrassing loss!" cried Kanjomizu dramatically.
"Idiot," said Tatsuya in a calmer voice. He flicked her forehead and smiled. "It's okay," he told her.
"M-My Love?" stuttered Kanjomizu.
"I would rather you redeem yourself by my side than doing it in hell," he told her kindly. "Also, you must really like giving me heart attacks," he joked. "I don't think I can last another one of your episodes."
Kanjomizu's face quickly turned a bright crimson red upon hearing those words. "I-I-I-I'm s-s-s-sorry," she apologized softly with her head turned downwards.
"Alright, let's get going," Tatsuya told the girls. "She can't have gone too far."
The group left the public pool and ran down the streets in what they assumed to be the right direction. After turning around a few corners and crossing over a few streets, they came upon a shopping district with restaurants and bars on both sides. It appears that they are currently lost.
"Argh! This is hopeless!" groaned Sunaji.
Tatsuya looked left and right for any sign of the woman. He didn't find the woman, but what he did find was a big clue. Piled on top of a nearby trash can was an empty bottle of wine, the same bottle that the woman was drinking from just moments before. Tatsuya followed the clue and walked down the street in its direction, followed closely behind by the other girls. They passed a ramen shop and a burger joint before the explosive sounds of drunken revelry caught their ears. They approached a bar and looked through its windows.
Inside, the woman was drinking mugs and mugs of beer and laughing and reveling with the other patrons. Every single customer had surrounded her and joined in her madness, laughing their heads off and chugging alcohol like their life depended on it.
Tatsuya and the girls exchanged glances before entering the bar. Once they were inside, the woman caught sight of them and waved wildly at them, shouting, "Ah, it's you guys! Come join the fun!"
The customers quickly cleared a path for Tatsuya and the girls to walk through to the woman. "I'm sorry, but we got to go," Tatsuya told the woman once he was near her.
"Ah, that again?" groaned the woman with a pout. She took a swig of her beer and then an idea popper in her mind, accompanied by one of her signature mischievous smiles. "How about we have a little competition? If you can beat me, I'll leave with you," suggested the woman.
"Enow with this foolishness!" shouted Sunaji angrily. "No more shall we partake in your extravagances!"
"Ah, you don't have to be such a buzzkill," groaned the woman with a frown. A smug smile appeared on her face as she taunted, "Ah, are you perhaps afraid that I'll beat you like your friends?"
That taunt really got under Sunaji's skin. Her face turned bright red with fury as she shouted, "Who yer callin' 'fraid, huh? Ah'll take yer on right na!"
"Whoa, what happened to enough with the foolishness?" asked Tatsuya.
"Ah can't 'ave sum gallivantin' woman call me yella!" declared Sunaji.
"Alright then, let's have a drinking competition!" announced the woman excitedly.
"D-Drinking competition?" repeated Tatsuya in surprise. The other patrons jollily cheered at the suggestion. Tatsuya couldn't believe the situation he was in. "U-Um, actually, I don't think that we—," he attempted.
"What is it, young man?" asked one of the other patrons.
"Are you backing out now?" taunted another.
"Let's put on a good show!" cheered another.
"But we're not of age," Tatsuya told them. Sunaji placed a hand on his chest in a reassuring gesture. She had on a very confident expression that even Tatsuya couldn't argue against. "Sunaji," he said.
"It's fine," reassured the Python princess. "Besides, technically we dragons are well above your age restrictions for everything in this realm. Although we may look young and, if we were to equalize our age using a proportional scale in relation to our current stage in our lifespan, our ages will no doubt be roughly equivalent to your human age in dragon years, we are in actuality older in technical age. After all, one year in a dragon's life is equivalent to five hundred human years. You can say that we dragons actually have two ages."
"W-Wait a minute, five hundred years?!" shouted Tatsuya in disbelief.
"That's the part that caught your attention?!" shouted Sunaji furiously.
"S-Sorry," apologized Tatsuya with a sheepish smile.
"Anyway, I shall partake in this competition. I am qualified to drink this realm's liquor," said Sunaji.
"Wait, so if one dragon year is five hundred human years, and you said that you would technically be considered 16 years old in dragon years, then that means that you're actually 8,000 years old!" concluded Tatsuya like he had just made a shocking discovery.
"Enough of that!" shouted Sunaji, her cheeks turning red. "Haven't your mother taught you to never say a woman's age out loud?! Have you no delicacy at all?!"
Once again, Tatsuya sheepishly apologized for his indiscretion. "But, I don't that's going to slide in the human realm. I mean, you still look like a normal 16 year old high school girl," he reasoned.
"It's okay, Tatsu-kun," reassured Shurai. "The owner here is a dragon."
Tatsuya glanced over at the owner, who flashed him a wink and a thumbs up. 'Is this really okay?' he thought worriedly to himself. 'If we get stopped by a policeman, I hope he's a dragon too. Otherwise, it's goodbye high school life and hello prison.'
Without further ado, both the woman and Sunaji engaged in a drinking competition. They sat at an empty table and faced each other. In front of each of them was a giant sized mug of beer. The beverage was apparently the most expensive that the place had to offer; it was a clear yellow beer with fluffy white froth bubbling on top. This time, the bar owner acted as the referee. Once the countdown was done, both contestants grabbed their respective mugs and began to chug down their drink.
It hasn't even been a second yet when Sunaji put her mug down. Her face was completely flushed red like a hot pepper and she was hiccupping. She wasn't without a doubt drunker than a 30 year old salaryman after putting in overtime. Tatsuya, Shurai, and Kanjomizu were dumbfounded to see their friend get smashed after just a sip.
On the other hand, the woman finished her glass in one gulp. "Ah, I won! I won!" she cheered to herself. "Ah, I'm sorry, but I won again! Looks like I'm not going home with you guys after all!"
Sunaji grabbed her mug and chucked it at the woman. Her face was angrier than a pit bull's and her breathing became heavy and forced. "Dun go an *hic* be makin' yer own rules ya *hic* gallivantin' missy!" yelled the drunk Python princess. "Dis battle ain't dun yet! *hic* Ah propose we change dem rules *hic*!"
"Ah, this sounds like fun!" said the woman, clapping her hands happily. "What should we do?"
"Ya choose anythin' *hic* an Ah still win!" declared Sunaji. "Ah ain't gonna lose *hic* ta a missy *hic* like ya!"
"Ah, how about a wrestling match!" suggested the woman.
"W-Wrestling match?!" shouted Tatsuya and Kanjomizu in unison.
"Ah, and to make it fair, I'll get downright drunk too!" said the woman. She called for three more mugs of beer and downed them all in three seconds flat. Her face became redder than a beet and she also started to hiccup too. "Ah, alright *hic*! Let's *hic* go!" she announced.
"I-Is this going to be okay?" Tatsuya asked the other two. They simply replied with anxious looks on their faces.
Sunaji and the woman engaged in their wrestling match and grappled each other tightly. The other patrons cheered wildly for them while the manager simply stood in the back and allowed this entire match to take place without a care; it appears that he found it a bother to stop something that his patrons were so invested in. The combatants pushed each other back and forth, their strengths equally matched like two unmovable mountains. Sunaji, however, had her face scrunched up in defiance as she stubbornly struggled to overcome the woman. On the other hand, the woman wore the same drunken smile as before and didn't look like she was struggling one bit.
Seeing this battle between them reminded Tatsuya of the final part of the myth. After having been beaten two times already, Thor decided to take it upon himself to redeem the honor of his friends. He engaged in a drinking competition and a competition of strength. But the most significant of them was his wrestling match against another one of the king's champions—an old woman who is claimed to have never been pinned down before. Thor tried his best to bring down the old woman but failed each attempt. After struggling fruitlessly to complete this impossible task, he admitted defeat. At the very end, the king revealed that the old woman was none other than the personification of age herself, which no other being in existence can bring down. In this competition, the woman was age to Sunaji's Thor.
Both combatants were at a standstill. Sunaji tried to force the woman to fall but couldn't get her to move even an inch. Irritated by how stubborn she was being, Sunaji pushed the woman backwards and forced her to crash into a table behind her. The woman shook off the impact like it was nothing, her expression unchanging despite the harsh battle tactic used against her. She then bent forward and tackled Sunaji, causing the dragon princess to crash into a chair behind her. Sunaji pushed the woman off of her and got back up. She squealed in anger and tackled the woman. It wasn't long before this wrestling match quickly escalated into a bar brawl. The other patrons, swept up by the frantic atmosphere of the two combatants, joined in and engaged in an all-out bar fight.
Tatsuya, Kanjomizu, and Shurai could only watch with wide eyes and dropped jaws. "What the hell just happened?" wondered Tatsuya aloud.
"Ya think *hic* Ah'm gonna lose *hic* to yer *hic* lil gallivantin' ass?!" shouted Sunaji drunkenly, throwing a chair at the woman.
"Yay! I haven't *hic* had this much fun *hic* in so long!" cheered the woman, dodging the chair and throwing back bottles of wine and beer form behind the counter.
"Jus ya wait! *hic* Ah'm gonna show yer *hic* who's boss 'round 'ere!" declared Sunaji, dodging the bottles and answering back with a broken table leg.
"This is *hic* even more fun *hic* than *hic* Irish bar brawls!" exclaimed the woman cheerfully.
After a few more minutes of throwing things and exchanging unrelated drunken remarks, Sunaji suddenly dropped to the floor. Tatsuya and the others rushed up to her in worry, only to find that she had fallen asleep. She snored away without a care in the world and her expression softened a bit.
Seeing her enemy down, the woman jumped up in joy and happily announced, "Yay! I won! I won! No one can beat me!" And then, as if infected by the same sleeping virus as Sunaji, the woman dropped to the floor and fell asleep.
"Um, I guess this works," commented Tatsuya.
Tatsuya carried the woman on his back while Kanjomizu and Shurai carried Sunaji on their shoulders. They made it back home and Tatsuya placed the woman on the couch in the living room. Kanjomizu and Shurai carried Sunaji to her room. It was at this time that Aika and Takara returned back from their day in the city.
"Darling, we're back!" called Aika from the front door. Ingrid and Draupnir had already left for the kitchen to prepare dinner, leaving the princesses alone to talk to their fiancé.
Tatsuya quickly left the living room to meet the princesses in the hallway. "Hey, how was your day out shopping?" he asked them casually.
"We bought a lot of stuff!" said Aika, showing off the many bags she carried on her arms.
"And we were able to buy them for cheap too!" said Takara smugly. "Never underestimate the business acumen of Lindworms. Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"
"I hope you didn't do anything illegal," said Tatsuya with a small groan.
"Elites such as I do not need to resort to such barbaric practices!" snapped Takara. "Sheesh, can you be anymore rude?"
"Alright, I'm sorry," apologized Tatsuya.
"Well, we're off to put our stuff away," Aika told them.
Once Aika and Takara left, Tatsuya walked back to tend to the woman in the living room. When he arrived, the woman was already awake and standing up. She turned to Tatsuya and beamed at him. "Ah, thank you very much for a very fun day," she told him happily. She held out her hand and a golden coin appeared. It looked like one of those old coins in glass exhibits in museums, and had a picture of a black dragon engraved on one side. She handed it over to Tatsuya and said, "Here's a little gift from me." Tatsuya examined the coin and saw that on the other side was a picture of a black bird. He then looked up from the coin and noticed that the woman had suddenly disappeared. He looked around the living room, checked under the tables and couches, but couldn't find any trace of her anywhere. He then rushed to the front door and opened it only to find no one there.
"What are you doing?" asked Takara from behind him.
Tatsuya closed the door and turned to her. "I-It's nothing," he answered her with a small chuckle.
Takara noticed the coin in Tatsuya's hand and pointed at it excitingly, asking, "Ooh, what's that treasure in your hand?"
Tatsuya handed it over to her and she examined it for a few seconds before handing it back to him. Her expression changed from excitement to one of reverence. "Did you by any chance come across a woman with braided twin-tails and a red dress who began almost every sentence with 'Ah'?" she asked him.
"How did you know?" Tatsuya asked her in surprise.
"Did you tend to her needs?" she asked him, avoiding his question.
"Y-Yes, I did," Tatsuya told her.
"Of course you did," she sighed, "Otherwise, how would you have received this?"
"What is it?" inquired Tatsuya curiously.
"This is only one of the greatest treasures to be bestowed by the gods," she informed him. "It is an 'Invocation Coin', a coin that allows one to call for the presence and aid of a Celestial Dragon. Only one god is capable of bestowing it: the Celestial Dragon of mischief and fortune, Aitvaras. She only gives it to those who have treated her well."
"She was a Celestial Dragon?!" exclaimed Tatsuya.
"However, Aitvaras is also known to be a double-edged sword. She does not only grant misfortune to those who do not tend to her needs. Even though those who have treated her well will receive great fortune, they will also suffer misfortune, although not as great as those who disregard her presence and needs," explained Takara. "Think of it as a give-and-take situation."
"Wait, what does that mean for me?" asked Tatsuya anxiously.
Takara shrugged her shoulders and said, "I guess we'll just have to find out."
Tatsuya didn't want to imagine the misfortune that will follow. He had already been through hell today chasing after the goddess through the city and playing along with her whims. He looked at the coin in his hand with anxious eyes. Just what will fate have in store for him?
Well, the next day, he received his answer. Tatsuya woke up the next morning to find a bunch of people banging on his front door. He opened it and was met by the Sanryu, the swimsuit rental worker, and the bar owner all telling him that he owed them money. Apparently, the additional bowls of ramen for that eating competition wasn't covered by the promotion, so Tatsuya would have to pay for them; the swimsuits that Aitvaras and Kanjomizu wore had not been paid for their rented time yet; and the damages suffered by the bar during the brawl had to be compensated, including the beer used in the competition and those that were downed by Aitvaras prior to the competition. When Tatsuya asked them their reason for coming to him, the answer he received was that the woman (Aitvaras) told them that he will pay for it all. Tatsuya couldn't believe his luck. He ended up with a bill totaling 129,207 yen (about $975 USD)! 'So this is the misfortune,' he concluded. It appears that Tatsuya would have to ask his parents for an advance on his next allowance soon.
Aitvaras ambled along the streets of Tokyo with a huge smile on her face. She came upon a sidewalk corner when a familiar voice called her from behind.
"My, my, it's pretty rare to see you down here," said the voice.
Aitvaras turned around and immediately knew who it was. "Ah! Mu-kun!" she happily called. "Ah, I've heard that you've been spending your time down here more often. I always thought that you never come here more than once a century."
"I'm beginning to enjoy the mortal world a little more," said Imoogi. "For example, I've been quite fascinated with modern mortal entertainment. These things called manga and anime are quite interesting. And the medium known as video games is also quite addicting."
"Ah, you were always one to get hooked on mortal forms of entertainment," teased Aitvaras.
"You looked like you had fun on your visit," noted Imoogi.
"Ah, I did!" agreed Aitvaras cheerfully.
"I'm tempted to ask, but I'm pretty sure that you came here of your own volition," said Imoogi.
"Ah, you thought that someone sent me here, didn't you? You've always been the suspicious one, Mu-kun," she teased.
"I should've never suspected you," said Imoogi with a laugh.
"Geez, Mu-kun," said Aitvaras playfully. "Ah, I've heard about him from Amora and I just wanted to see him for myself. She was right, he was one interesting fellow."
"Yes, he is," agreed Imoogi.
"Ah, well then, it was nice meeting you. Toodles!" She began to walk off when she suddenly remembered something and turned back around. "Ah, I almost forgot to tell you. We're having a meeting soon where everyone is required to attend. It's to discuss the Incident. Hope to see you there!"
"Ah, if it's a meeting where we're all required to attend, I guess I can't miss out on it," agreed Imoogi. "Besides, it sounds like this meeting might actually be interesting."